Seligman is where Route 66 nostalgia was saved from extinction. When Interstate 40 bypassed the town in 1978, local barber Angel Delgadillo rallied residents to preserve the historic road, a campaign that eventually led to Route 66 being designated Arizona’s first historic highway. That spirit still drives the town’s compact main street, lined with vintage motor courts, hand-painted signs and gift shops that feel unchanged since the 1950s. On the way into town, detour a short drive to Grand Canyon Caverns, where an elevator drops visitors more than 60 meters into a dry limestone cave system for a 45-minute guided tour – a cool break from the desert heat, since the caves stay around 13 degrees Celsius year-round. Back in town, Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In, opened by Angel’s brother Juan in 1953 and still run by the family, serves up burgers, shakes and practical jokes with every order. Turn in for the night early – the road to Kingman is one of the longest surviving original alignments of Route 66 and it’s worth driving during daylight.

Kingman grew up as a railroad and mining supply town and today it’s the largest city on this part of Route 66. Start with lunch at Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner, a candy-colored 1950s-style diner known for root beer floats and monster burgers that 2 or 3 people can share. From there, the Arizona Route 66 Museum, located inside the Powerhouse Visitor Center, covers the road’s full history in the state, from wagon trail and Dust Bowl migration route to postwar tourist corridor. Stop by Hackberry General Store, one of the most photographed roadside stops on the highway. The former gas station now serves as a museum and gift shop, with vintage cars, gas pumps and hand-painted signage lining its exterior. Cap the day with dinner at Garibaldi’s, a Kingman institution for Italian comfort food, before settling in for a good night’s rest. Tomorrow’s drive over Sitgreaves Pass is the trip’s most dramatic route.

Oatman boomed as a gold-mining camp in the early 1900s, with over 10,000 residents and $36 million in gold pulled from the hills. When the mines closed and Route 66 bypassed the town in the 1950s, it nearly became a ghost town within a decade. It survives today as a working tourist stop, most famous for the burros that walk through Main Street – descendants of pack animals turned loose by miners a century ago. Arrive before 11 a.m. to beat the midday crowds and heat. Pick up approved burro feed from local shops if you’d like to meet Oatman’s famous four-legged residents.

When it’s your turn to eat, stop by the Oatman Hotel Restaurant & Bar for a hearty and historic lunch inside an adobe building from 1902. Stick around Main Street to catch one of the staged Old West shootouts performed by the “Oatman Outlaws” gunfighter troupe. Many vendors here are cash-only, so come prepared if you wish to shop. Spend the night in Oatman or nearby Bullhead City so you can get an early start on tomorrow’s long Mojave Desert drive.

From Oatman, Arizona, continue on old Route 66 to Topock and cross the Colorado River into California near Needles. Watch out for the Old Trails Bridge and welcome murals marking the start of the Mother Road’s final state. Fill up in Needles, since the next reliable gas is an hour away, then follow the National Trails Highway toward Amboy. This is the most remote day of the trip, with long stretches between services, but it’s also the most photogenic. You’ll want to slow down for Roy’s Motel & Café. This nearly abandoned motor court is a classic example of Googie architecture, the atomic-age, space-and-motion inspired style that defined mid-century American roadside design. Its iconic boomerang neon sign has become one of the most photographed landmarks on Route 66. A short walk away, Amboy Crater is a dormant volcanic cinder cone roughly 5,000 years old.

Continuing west, Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch near Oro Grande is a free, donation-supported roadside art installation of hundreds of “trees” built from steel pipe and vintage glass bottles. From there, head south to Palm Springs, the desert resort town that became a mid-century playground for Hollywood, known today for its walkable downtown, boutique shopping and palm-lined streets. Its Old Las Palmas neighborhood, once home to stars like Frank Sinatra and Elvis, remains one of the best-preserved collections of Modernist homes from that era. Go on a stroll through its scenic streets before dinner, then stay overnight at one of the town’s resort-and-spa properties. Tomorrow’s drive leads to Los Angeles – best started with an early lunch on the road.

Once in Los Angeles, hit two of its most famous landmarks: the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with its thousands of bronze stars honoring entertainment figures, and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the three-block strip of luxury flagship stores that’s as much a sightseeing destination as a shopping one. Save the finale for the Santa Monica Pier, the symbolic western end of Route 66, marked by a sign reading “Route 66 – End of the Trail.” Walk out over the Pacific, ride the solar-powered Ferris wheel at Pacific Park and watch the sun go down over the ocean before a celebratory dinner at The Lobster, prized for its fresh seafood and pier-front views. Fly out of LAX the next morning, or extend the trip north on the Pacific Coast Highway.